Therapeutic device



Nov. 22, 1949 E. H. TOMPKINS 2,488,693

THERAPEUTIC DEVICE Filed May 13, 1944 17m/enfer Patented Nov. 22, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE THERAPEUTIC DEVICE Edwin H. Tompkins, New York, N. Y.

Application May 13, 1944, Serial No. 535,505

(Cl. 12S-46) 9 Claims.

This invention relates to therapeutic devices, and particularly to those which may be held against a portion of ones body and healthful impulses transmitted to that portion of the body.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved, relatively simple, compact, inexpensive and portable device of this type which may be held in one hand and pressed against another' portion of the body to be treated.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved device of this type, which will be so constructed that the userswill naturally hold it in the proper operative position when grasping it in the hand; which will be provided with a sanitary covering for the housing that may be removed and cleansed or disinfected and replaced on the housing in a simple manner by the user.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved oating mounting for an axially unbalanced operating shaft'of the type which may be enclosed within a relatively small housing.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description of one embodiment of the invention, and the novel features will be particularly pointed out hereinafter in connection with the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective of a device constructed in accordance with this invention;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of the same, the section being taken approximately along the line 2-2, Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional elevation of the same, the section being taken approximately along the line 3--3, Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is another transverse section elevation of the same, the section being taken approximately along the line 1 -4, of Fig. 2.

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, a hollow rigid housing orshell I is provided with a relatively rigid, generally flat, removable back wall II. The .open face of the shell I0 is provided at its corners with lugs I2 against which the removable side wall II is placed, and this wall I I is removably held in position on the housing or shell I0 by screws I3 which pass through the wall II and are threaded into the lugs I'2. Secured on the inner face of the wall II, adjacent opposite ends thereof, are two supporting elements or standards I4 which project into the chamber of the housing and in approximately parallel spaced relation to each other. These elements or standards I4 have aligned passages I5 which may be conveniently elongated by in- 2 tegral cylindrical flanges I6 formed from the elements I4.

A plate or base Il is of generally U-shape, and the arms Ila of the U adjacent their free ends are provided with pins I8 with their longitudinal axes approximately aligned and extending into the adjacent passages I5. Soft, resilient, gum or sponge rubber, interponent parts, or bushing members I9 are fitted over the pins I8 and are snugly received in the passages I5, so as to provide a resilient, floating mounting for the plate Il relatively to the housing. The ends of the bushings or members I9, adjacent the arms Ila of the plate Il, have external flanges I 9a abutting against faces of standards I4 so as to prevent direct contact between the arms I'Ia of the plate I'I and the standards I4. The flanges I9 may also limit endwise movement of the plate I'I.

The base of the U of the plate I1 is disposed closely adjacent the removable wall II, and upon it is mounted the frame 20 of an electric motor having a rotatable, driven shaft 2I carrying a magnetic armature 22 (Fig. 4) xed thereon and rotatable therewith. This particular type of motor has a U-shaped core 23 which intermediate.

of its ends carries a'winding 24. The armature shaft 2l carries a cam which engages against a spring contact arm 23a. and cams it away from a fixed contact 24, twice at each revolution of the cam. The cam onrthe shaft 2l is so xed angularly on the shaft that it separates the contact arm 23a from the contact 24 just before the armature 22 becomes aligned between the pole pieces or ends of the arms of the U of the frame or core '23, so that inertia of the armature 22 will carry it pastV the aligned positions. Thereupon the cam again releases the contact arm 23a. The arm 23a is then resiliently urged back into engagement with the contact '24. This is an example of a familiar make of electric motor known as the make and brea type.

The rotor or armature of such a motor is provided with an axial unbalance of substantial amount, well in excess of any accidental unbalance due to inaccuracy of manufacture. lThis unbalance is conveniently provided by mounting on one side of the armature 22 a mass 25 of non-magnetic material, such as lead, the body of lead being provided only on one side of the armature to create the unbalance. This unbalance is effective when the motor is operated, to create centrifugal forces tending to move the motor bodily in a gyratory path of small amplitude and of a relatively high frequency depending 3 upon the speed of the motor, which body movement of the motor is permitted by the floating mounting between the arms of the U of the plate I7 and the bearing standards I4. The pins i8 are preferably approximately aligned with the center of gravity of the motor and plate Il.

To prevent any tendency of the motor to rotate about the axes of the pins I8, resilient pads 26 of sponge or gum rubber are interposed between the base of the plate I'I and the removable wall I I of the housing. These pads 26 resist and limit any tendency of the motor to rotate about the axes of the pins I1, and at the same time, they prevent transmission of the movements of the motor to the wall I I, except the gyratory or body movement which is also transmitted to the wall II through the standards I4. The movable wall Il extends over approximately the full face of the housing, so that when it is removed, the motor may be removed with it through the open face of the housing.

Upon the exterior face of the housing or casing I0, I provide a layer 27, of a substantial thickness of not less than 1/8 inch, of soit resilient cushioning material or padding such as sponge rubber or soft gum rubber or a very soft resilient felt or hair, and this padding layer extends peripherally about the outside of the housing from approximately one edge of the wall II to the other without passing across the wall Il. This padding or layer may be cemented to the outside face of the housing or otherwise conned thereto, and over it is stretched a cover 2&2 of ilexible sheet material, such as gum rubber. This cover 28 has parts extending somewhat over the face having the removable wall, so that this cover may be applied merely by stretching it over the housing on that portion having the padding 2'I and which will contract, when released, so as to grip the housing and remain thereon.

, The cover 28 has projections 29 on opposite sides thereof and adjacent the edges of the removable wall II. rFliese projections are preferably ribs extending in a direction lengthwise of the housing so that when the housing is grasped in ones hand, with the removable wall I I against the palm of the hand, the fingers of the hand may be engaged, over the ribs 29 and thus coniine this housing rmly in the hand, and at the same time, leave exposed the major part of the surface of the housing bearing the padding layer 27 and the cover 28. This surface of the housing which is covered by the padding 21 is preferably arcuate, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, soV that it may be pressed into concavities in the body which are to be treated. Wires 30 from the motor leave the housing through a suitable opening and may be connected to any suitable source of current in the usual manner.

In use, the device is assembled as shown in Fig. l, grasped in the hand with wall Il abutting the palm of the hand and the lingers engaging the ribs 29, and with the Wires 30 supplying current to the motor connected to a suitable source of current. The motor will operate to rotate the armature shaft 2I, and because of the unbalance of this shaft, the entire motor will be urged in a gyratory path of small amplitude by the centrifugal forces acting on the unbalanced weight of the shaft. This centrifugal force tending to push the motor shaft in a gyratory path will urge the entire motor in a similar gyratory path, which is the axis of rotation of the unbalanced shaft. The motor is free to gyrate in the housing by reason of its 'resilient and floating mounting, it being understood that the motor is everywhere spaced from the housing walls, so that the gyratory impulses created by this gyratory movement of the motor and plate i1 will be transmitted through the resilient mounting to the housing, and from the housing through the padding layer 2'1 and the cover 28 to whatever local portion of the body the device is pressed against while it is held in the hand. These gyratory impulses have been found to cause a marked improvement in the blood circulation of the local zone receiving the impulses, and to cause other benecial eirects on that portion of the body.

After the device has been used, the cover 28 can be removed by stretching it to release it from the housing, after which it can be sterilized or cleansed by washing or by any sterilizing operation, and then reapplied to the housing by again stretching it over the housing. This makes the device entirely sanitary. Various other Ways of confining the cover 28 removably to the housing may be adopted, the particular stretchable form which is shown being a suitable one for that purpose. While the housing itself or the padding layer could be provided with projections or ribs to serve the purpose of the ribs 29, and the cover 28 would, when stretched over the housing, conform to the ribs, this would be a more expensive construction than that shown in which the ribs 29 are attached to or form apart of the cover 28.

The electric motor with the unbalanced armature shaft is a very inexpensive and simple way of obtaining an electrically operated unit which will impart body movements of small amplitude and high frequency to the housing, and apparently these gyratory impulses give more effective therapeutic results than the impulses from other types of units which impart non-gyratory body movements to the housing. The gyratory movements are more pleasing in character, less annoying to the patient, and apparently more effective inv stimulating circulation and a return of healthful condition of the portion of the body to which the impulses are applied. By the term soft, gum or sponge rubber, I intend to refer to include not only natural and reclaimed rubber, but also any of the so called synthetic rubbers. These rubbers are of the highly resilient type which can be compressed, stretched or deformed considerably without rupture, and when released will spring back to their original shape and size automatically. The cover 28 may be a tubular element that may be stretched to enable it to be passed on and encircle the housing, and when released will contract upon and conform to the shape of the housing and be held removably thereon.

While soft, resilient natural and synthetic rubbers are the principal materials now available which are useful to provide the floating mounting for the motor, the cushioning means and the cover, any other materials which are soit and resilient may be used as equivalents of the rubber within the broadest scope of the invention.

It will be understood that various changes in the details, materials and arrangements of parts, which have been herein described and illustrated in order to explain the nature of the invention, may be made by those skilled in the art within the principle and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A therapeutic device comprising a hollow housing of a size small enough to be grasped and Ah eld securely in one hand, said housing having 'housing in a peripheral direction from a zone adjacent one side edge of said base wall, away from said base wall over said housing and to a zone adjacent the other side edge of said base wall, said cushioning cover having external projections of substantial size on its sides adjacent the edges of said base wall, which facilitate confining of the housing against the palm of the hand with the base wall facing the palm of the hand, and the fingers ofrthat hand bent over said projections, an electric motor within -the housing and having an operated rotatable shaft unbalanced to a Vsubstantial amount well in excess of any axial unbalance due to inaccuracy of manufacture, and

soft, resilient means iloatingly mounting said motor in said housing and resiliently yieldable in all directions crosswise of the direction of rotation of said shaft, whereby when said motor is operated it will gyrate within the housing, transmit its gyratory impulses through said resilient means, the housing and the cushioning means to a portion of the human body against which the cushioning cover may be pressed while it is held in the hand.

2. A therapeutic device comprising a hollow housing of a size small enough to be grasped and held securely in one hand, said housing having a removable base wall, a soft, resilient, cushioning cover abutting the outside surface of said housing in a peripheral direction from a starting zone adjacent one side edge of said base wall, away from said base wall over said housing and terminating at a zone adjacent the other side edge of said base wall, said cushioning cover having external projections of substantial size on its sides adjacent the edges of said base wall, which facilitate confining of the housing against the palm of the hand with the base wall facing the palm of the hand, and the fingers of that hand bent over said projections, spaced standards projecting from the base wall into the chamber of the housing and having axially aligned cylindrical passages, an electric motor having an operated shaft axially unbalanced to a substantial extent and more than any accidental unbalance due to inaccuracy of manufacture, a member mounting said motor and'having projections extending into said aligned passages in spaced relation thereto, soft resilient cushioning means interposed between said pins and said passages, and through said member floatingly mounting said motor from said base plate, resilient means acting between said base plate and member for resisting rotation of said motor bodily in said passages, whereby when said motor is operated its unbalance will cause it to gyrate in said housing and through said cushioning means transmit gyratory impulses to said housing and from the latter through the external cushioning cover to the portion of the body against which the housing is pressed while it is held in the hand.

3. A therapeutic device comprising a hollow housing having a removable wall, members extending from said wall into the chamber of said housing in approximately parallel spaced relation, said members having aligned passages, an electric motor in the chamber of said housing and fully spaced from the walls thereof, the frame of said motor having pins extending into said passages in spaced relation tothe walls of the passages, soft resilient interponent parts surrounding said pins and disposed snugly in said passages so as to floatingly mount said motor frame on said removable wall, and soft resilient means interposed between said motor and wall for resisting rotary movement ofv said motor frame in said passages, said motor having a rotary driven shaft with an axial unbalance of substantial extent well in excess of anyV accidental unbalance due to inaccuracy of manufacture, whereby when said motor operates, the axial unbalance of the shaft lit operates will cause it to gyrate about the axis of rotation of said shaft, which gyrations will be transmitted as impulses to said removable wall and through it te thehousing.

4. A therapeutic device comprising a rigid, hollow housing of a size small enough to be grasped and held securely in one hand, a soft resilient cushioning cover of substantial thickness covering a substantial peripheral zone of the outside surface of said housing between opposite sides thereof, said cushioning cover having external projections of substantial size on its opposite sides to facilitate confining of the housing against the palm of the hand with the cushioning cover on the exposed surface of the housing, anV electrically operated unit within said housing of a type which when operated will partake of a body movement of small amplitude and relatively high frequency, and soft resilient means interposed between said unit and housing and forming the sole and floating mounting for said unit and resiliently yieldable in all directions in a plane, whereby the body movements of the unit will be transmitted through the floating mounting to the housing and through the housing and said cushioning layer to a portion of ones body against which the cushioning layer is pressed while the housing is held in the palm of ones hand.

5. A therapeutic device comprising a hollow housing of a size small enough to be grasped and held securely in one hand, a layer of soft resilient padding disposed on one face of said housing, a cover of flexible, washable impervious material covering said layer, extending peripherally more than half way around said housing, and snugly lfltting said housing, said cover having projections on opposite sides of said housing which may be grasped by the fingers of the hand against the palm of which the housing is confined, and an electrically operated unit disposed within said housing and when operated imparting to said housing a movement bodily of small amplitude and relatively high frequency, which is transmitted through said padding and cover to the surface of that portion of ones body against which the housing is confined while being held in the hand.

6. A therapeutic device comprising a hollow, rigid housing of a size small enough to be grasped and held securely in ones hand, projections on opposite sides of said housing over which may be engaged the fingers of the hand which grasps it, and an electrically operated unit disposed within said housing and when operated imparting to said housing a body movement of small'amplitude and relatively high frequency.

7. A therapeutic device comprising a hollow, rigid housing of a size small enough to be grasped and held securely in ones hand, projections on opposite sides of said housing closely adjacent to one face of the housing, over which may be engaged the fingers of the hand which grasps it, and an electrically operated unit disposed within resiliently mounted by said housing for movement in all directions in a common plane crosswise of the length of said housing and when operated imfassa-oss '7 parting tosaid ho'singa `bodynri'oyerne'ntoffsmall Vamplitudeand 'relatively high `frequency.

8. -A vtherapeutic device comprising a hollow, igidhou'singof a size small ienoughto be grasped fand held securely vin `ones hand, an electrically operated unit disposed within said housing and -when operated imparting to said housing a body -rnovement of :small-amplitude andfrelatively high l'tr'e'quency, and a cover of flexible, washable, im- .pervious sheet materialrem'ovablyand snugly :en- :'gaging said housing.

9. -A 4therapeutic device comprising a hollow, rigid housing of asize small enough to be grasped and held securely v.in one's hand, 4said housing having a generally flat, -removable wall andthe fopposite ifa'ce of the housing being generally arcul'a'tein transverse cross section, a cover of iiexible, Washable, impervious sheet Ymaterial removably fand snugly engaging `said .housing .but exposing 'th'e major 'portion 'of the -face of said wall, an electrically actuated unit disposed within said housing in spaced relation /tofthe walls thereof,

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of yrecord in the le of this patent:

UNTIED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 794,962 Waite July 18, -1905 1,857,982 Shelton May 10, 1932 2,287,501 Thomas June 23, 1942 2,307,554 Wettlaufer Jan. 5, 1943 v2q) 2,349,837 Wettlaufer May 30, 1944 

